Presser wheel for securing pads to crown caps



PRESSER WHEEL FOR SECURING PADS To CROWN CAPs June 19, 956 A. WEESENBURG5 Sheets-Sheet` 1 Filed Aug.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 19, 1956 A. Wx-:asENBURG PRESSER WHEEL FORSECURING PADS TO CROWN CAPS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 3l, 1953 June19, 1956 A. WElsENBuRG PRESSER WHEEL FOR SECURING PADS TO CROWN CAPS 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 5l, 1953 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent O PRESSER WHEEL FOR SECURING PADS TO CROWN CAPS AndrewWeisenburg, Langhorne, Pa.

Application August 31, 1953, Serial No. 377,341

2 Claims. (Cl. 154-15) In my copending application, Ser. No. 241,048,filed August 9, 1951, now Patent No. 2,695,650, there is shown acombination of units cooperating to feed crown caps in a straight lineand at a continuous relatively high speed and while the caps are movingto insert pads in the caps and secure them therein. One of these unitsis a presser Wheel in which the pads are pressed against an adhesive inthe cap and subjected to heat for uniting the pads to the caps.

The present application is directed to this presser wheel and itsassociated mechanism for fixing the pads to the caps.

An object of the invention is to provide a presser wheel mounted forrotation about a horizontal axis and having a plurality of unitsoperating in succession to receive the caps and to press the padsagainst the adhesive in the caps with means operating in timing with therotation of the presser wheel for positively placing the caps in the capreceiving and pressing units.

A further object of the invention is to provide a presser wheel of theabove type wherein the caps are pressed against the inner surface of aflange at the periphery of the wheel and means is disposed about thewheel for heating said ange and cap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a presser wheel of theabove type wherein each unit includes a spring operated plunger forpressing the caps against the flange of the wheel and wherein means isprovided for raising the plungers from the ange to permit the placing ofa cap with a pad therein beneath the plunger and for releasing theplungers in succession and in timing with the` placing of the caps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a presser Wheel of theabove type with a continuously rotating disc movable over the flange andhaving pockets for the caps for positively placing the caps insuccession on the flange beneath the raised plungers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a presser wheelhaving a central web mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis withperipheral anges projecting laterally from each side thereof and aseries of spring operated plungers associated with each flange, withindependent means for placing caps with the pads therein on the angebeneath the plungers.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part behereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by Way of illustration one embodiment of theinvention: v

Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a pad inserting Figure 3 is aperspective view partly in section showing the guideways for the capsand the feed shaft with the spiral thread thereon for feeding the capsalong the guideway.

Miice Figure 4 is a view in perspective showing a portion of the presserwheel, the feed shaft for feeding the caps along the guideways and theoperating means for rotating the presser wheel and also for rotating thedevices which place the caps on the flange of the presser wheel,

Figure 5 is a View in perspective showing a portion of the presser wheelwith the spring actuated plungers, the cam for raising the plungers andthe disc which places the caps beneath the plungers.

Figure 6 is a view in section showing a portion of the presser Wheel,the means for rotating the same and the feeding discs for feeding capsonto the flanges at each side of the wheel.

Figure 7 is a View in longitudinal section showing a portion of the feedscrew delivering the caps with the pads therein to a pocket in the discwhich places the caps on the ange of the presser wheel.

The improved presser wheel for securing the pads in the caps is shown inthe illustrated embodiment of the invention as applied to a padinserting machine wherein the caps are continuously fed along guidewaysleading to the presser wheel and disposed along the guideways is a meansfor applying adhesive to the cap, then means for inserting the pads inthe caps after which they are fed into the presser wheel where the padis pressed against the adhesive and the adhesive heated for setting thesame. Briefly, the machine as a Whole includes plates 11 and 12 whichare spaced from each other. These plates extend from the receiving endof the machine to the presser wheel. The opposed upper edge portions ofthe plates are chamfered as indicated at 13. The ange 17 of the cap 16rests on these chamfered surfaces and thus the cap is supported andguided through the machine. Cover plates 14 and 15 are provided tocomplete the guideways for the flanges of the caps. The caps are fedalong the guideways by a feed shaft 18 having a spiral rib 19 thereon.The helix angle of the spiral rib is uniform and therefore the spiralrib which engages the depending p0rtion of the inverted cap will movethe cap along the guideways at a continuous rate of speed.

In Figure 3 of the drawings one of the guideways and shafts for feedingthe caps is shown. There is a second guideway and feed shaft illustratedin Figure 2. The outer supporting plate therefor is indicated at 11. Thetwo feed shafts are shown in Figure 4.

The caps are fed from a chute 26 in which they are retained by ayielding linger 2'7. A rotating shaft 31 is provided with plungers 34which move one after another into the caps in the chute and the caps areforcibly withdrawn from the chute and placed in the guideway between thespiral ribs 19. The spiral rib of the feed shaft will then feed the capthrough the machine to the presser wheel. There are two chutes and twofeed lines as noted above. The cap is first passed through the adhesiveapplying device which includes plunger pads 47 which takes the adhesivefrom a side roll and places it within the cap on the inner face of thetop portion of the cap. The cap then passes through the pad insertingdevice. There are two pad inserting devices which operate to insert padsin alternate caps. Each pad inserting device indicated at 57, 57 issupplied with pads from the chutes 59, 59 respectively.

The pad feeding mechanism illustrated is shown and described in detailin my copending application of which the present application is adivision and further description thereof is not thought necessary. Afterthe pad has been inserted in the cap it then passes through a detector138. There is a similar detector 138' on the other line of cap feed asshown in Figure 2. These detectors are carried by a housing 136. Eachdetector includes plungers carrying a permanent magnet which will entera cap and if there is no pad in the cap it will be diverted into adischarge chute 145 on one line and a discharge chute 1% on the otherline. After passing a detector the caps with the pads therein are fedinto a pocketed disc which in turn feeds the caps into the presserwheel.

it is this presser wheel, together with the means for placing the capswith the pads therein in the wheel that constitutes the invention of thepresent application and a detailed description thereof will now begiven.

There is only one presser wheel for the two feed lines. This presserwheel is carried by a shaft 148 and the shaft in turn is mounted inbearings carried by spaced brackets 149 mounted on the frame of themachine.

The presser wheel has a central web 150 (see Figure 6), from each sideof which extend flanges 151 and` 151. The central web carries a gear 152which meshes with a worm gear 153 on the main shaft 20. Mounted on theweb of the presser wheel are a series of radially disposed plungers 154.There are plungers on each side of the wheel and they are located insideof the flanges 151 and 151 respectively. Associated with each plunger isa spring 155 which normally moves the plunger radially outwardly so thatwhen it enters a crown cap it will press the cap against the flange asshown in Figure 6. Each plunger carries a stub shaft on which is mounteda roller 156. The stub shaft extends through slots in a plate 157 andthe rollers are located just outside of the plates.

There is a web 158 on which is mounted a plate 159 carrying an inwardlyprojecting member 160 having a cam face 161. This plate 159 carrying theearn is secured to the web 158 by bolts 162, 162. passing through a slot163 in the cam supporting plate. This permits the cam supporting plateto be adjusted.

This cam is so shaped and positioned that as the plungers approach thecam the roller 156 runs up onto the upper face of the cam. (See Figure5.) It the plunger is pressing a cap against the flange 151 it will belifted from the cap as the roller moves along the cam and this willrelease the cap so that it will be discharged into a chute 164. Theplunger remains in its retracted position to which it has been moved bythe cam and a pocketed disc 165 places caps on the flange so that whenthe plunger runs off from the cam it will move into a cap contacting thepad and press the pad tightly against the adhesive on the inner surfaceof the top of the cap and press the cap in turn against the flange 151.There is, of course, a similar cam operating on the plungers on theother side of the presser wheel and a similar pocketed disc for feedingcaps onto the flange and a chute for receiving caps from the flange.

The disc 165 is provided with a series of pockets 166. The disc isrotated by a center shaft 167 on which the disc is mounted. The shaft167 carries a Worm gear meshing with a spiral gear on a shaft 168 andthe shaft 168 carries a gear 169 which meshes with an idle gear 170 andthe idle gear 17? in turn meshes with a gear 171 on the shaft 20. Thefeed shaft 1S feeds the crown caps with the pads therein into the pocket166 of the disc 165.

Directly beneath the disc 165 is a supporting plate 172. This supportingplate extends all the way around the disc and is in alignment with theflange 151 at the position where the caps are moved onto the flange.(See Figure 6.) There is a cover plate 173 which overlies the crown capsin the pockets and retains them therein until they are delivered ontothe flange 151 of the presser wheel. It is noted that the spiral rib 19on the feed shaft 18 moves the cap positively into the pocket in thedisc and the disc positively places the caps on the flange 151. Theoperation is the same on both feed discs but, of course, the discs arefed with caps independently from the two feed lines.

Associated with each flange on the presser wheel is a pipe 174. Mountedon the brackets supporting the presser wheel is a standard 174e. Thereis one on each side of the wheel and these standards support thesepipes. These pipes have openings on their inner face which form a gasjet burner. The flame of the gas jet is directed against the outer faceof the flange 151 and likewise the gas jets on the other side of thepresser wheel are directed against the flange 151'. These gas jetsextend only partially around the presser Wheel but for a suicientdistance so that the heated flange will transfer heat to the top portionof the crown cap and through the top portion to the adhesive on theinner face thereof. The gas jets terminate some little distance from thedischarge point so that the adhesive if thermoplastic will coolsuflciently so as to set before the cap and the pad therein isdischarged from the machine.

The operation of the presser wheel will be briefly described. The capswith the pads therein are fed from the guideways by the spiral rib onthe feed shaft directly into a continuously rotating pocketed disc. Thisdisc in turn places the caps on the flange of the presser Wheel whilethe plungers are raised by the cam 161. When the cap is centered beneaththe plunger by the pocket in the feed disc the roller 156 holding theplunger raised will run off from the cam and the spring will at onceforce the plunger into the cap against the pad. Thus the pad is pressedagainst the adhesive and as the presser wheel continues its rotation theflame from the burners contacting the outer face of the flange willimpart heat to the flange and from the flange to the cap and from thecap to the adhesive. If the adhesive is thermosetting then the pad maybe firmly secured to the cap by the heating of the flange. If theadhesive is thermoplastic then the heating period in the rotation of thepresser wheel will be limited so that the adhesive may cool and setbefore the cap is discharged from the machine. As has already been notedthe presser wheel has a central web with flanges projecting from eachside thereof and there are plungers associated with each flange so thatthe two independent lines of caps in which pads are inserted areoperated upon independently and simultaneously by the presser wheel.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for securing pads to crown caps comprising yguideways forsupporting and guiding caps having an adhesive with the pad therein,means for feeding the caps along said guideways, a presser wheeldisposed at the ends of the guideways and rotatable about a horizontalaxis, said presser wheel having a laterally projecting flange at theperipheral edge, the inner face of the flange being smooth and unbrokenand adapted to receive the caps, a series of plungers mounted on saidwheel inwardly from said flange for radial movement, a spring for eachplunger adapted to move the plunger outwardly toward the ange, a rolleron each plunger, a cam disposed in the path of the rollers for raisingthe plungers away from the flange, a cap supporting plate at the end ofsaid guideways onto which the caps are discharged, the cap receivingportion of the flange being in alignment with the upper face of theplate, a rotatable dise having radially projecting arms forming pocketsadapted to receive the caps discharged onto said plate, the arms of thepocket in the disc being adapted to move over the plate and over theinner surface of the flange beneath a raised plunger and into alignmenttherewith so that when said plunger is released from said cam it willenter the cap while in the pocket and press the pad against the adhesivein the cap, and means for heating the peripheral edge, the inner face ofthe flangebeingr-4 smooth and unbroken and adapted to receive the caps,a series of plungers mounted on said wheel inwardly from said flange forradial movement, a spring for each plunger adapted to move the plungeroutwardly toward the flange, a roller on each plunger, a cam disposed inthe path of the rollers for raising the plungers away from the ilange, acap supporting plate at the end of said guideways onto which the capsare discharged, the cap receiving portion of the Flange being inalignment with the upper face of the plate, a rotatable disc havingradially projecting arms forming pockets adapted to receive the capsdischarged onto said plate, the arms of the pocket in the disc beingadapted to move over the plate and over the inner surface of the flangebeneath a raised plunger and into alignment therewith so that when saidplunger is released from said cam it will enter a cap while in thepocket and press the pad against the adhesive in the cap, and means forheating 6 the flanged cap and adhesive for a time sufficient to set theadhesive and secure the pads to the caps, said plungers when raised bythe cam release the caps engaged thereby, and a chute at one side of theilange of the presser wheel receives the released caps.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS1,768,605 Johnson July 1, 1930 2,113,592 Johnson Apr. 12, 1938 2,138,923Johnson Dec. 6, 1938 2,218,540 Kronquest Oct. 22, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS25,574 Great Britain 1912 468,641 Canada Oct. 10, 1950

